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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
If you want a dual-use gaming headset you can also unplug and wear as everyday Bluetooth headphones, choose JLab Play Gaming; if you need open-ear sport headphones that survive swimming and sweat while keeping your ears free, choose HAKII Sole Bone Conduction.
• JLab Play Gaming — biggest strength: true dual-use design. Plug the 3.5 mm AUX gaming cord into a console for zero-latency play, then unplug and go wireless over Bluetooth 5 with aptX and 60 ms latency.
• JLab Play Gaming — biggest trade-off: the 22-hour battery is on the modest side for a wireless headset, and the spec sheet lists no warranty, so you're relying on the build quality alone.
• HAKII Sole Bone Conduction — biggest strength: IP68 waterproofing plus 16 GB of built-in storage and an MP3 mode, so you can swim or train with no phone anywhere near you.
• HAKII Sole Bone Conduction — biggest trade-off: no wired jack at all, and bone conduction sound is inherently open, so you get awareness instead of isolation.
• Who each pick is for: JLab Play Gaming suits console-and-mobile gamers who want one headset for both; HAKII Sole is for runners, swimmers and gym-goers who want their ears open and their phone left behind.
The JLab Play Gaming headset is built around a simple idea: one piece of gear that covers both your console and your phone. The 3.5 mm AUX gaming cord is the anchor here. Plug it into a PlayStation, Xbox, Switch or PC and you get wired, zero-latency audio with an inline volume control right on the cable. That's the mode most console players will live in, and it's the reason this headset makes sense for someone who splits time between a living-room console and a commute.
Unplug, and it turns into a Bluetooth 5 headphone with aptX and a claimed 60 ms latency figure — low enough that mobile gaming stays roughly in sync with what's on screen. The sound profile is tuned for gaming rather than for music listening, with a lift in the mid and high frequencies that pushes vocals and footsteps forward, which is exactly what you want for spatial awareness in a shooter. The retractable boom mic is the detail I like most: extend it to talk to your squad, push it back into the housing when you're just listening, and hit the quick-mute button when you need silence. Over-ear earcups, fabric and plastic construction, and a bundled carrying case round it out.
HAKII Sole Bone Conduction: Who It's For
The HAKII Sole is a different animal entirely. It's an open-ear, bone conduction design weighing just 27 g, with silicone ear hooks and a circular earpiece that sits outside your ear canal rather than inside it. Nothing presses on your ears, and nothing blocks them — you hear your music and the traffic, the treadmill, or your training partner at the same time.
The headline feature is the IP68 rating combined with 16 GB of onboard storage and an MP3 mode. That combination means you can load thousands of tracks onto the headphones themselves and leave your phone in a locker or on the pool deck. There's no headphone jack at all, so this is wireless-only: Bluetooth 6 with multipoint pairing for two devices at once, up to 10 hours of playback, and a 10-hour charge time that's genuinely slow — worth planning around. The physical button controls and four built-in EQ modes let you adjust the sound without an app.
Sound-wise, expect open-ear physics: an 18 mm dynamic driver, 8 ohm impedance, 96 dB sensitivity and a 20 Hz–20 kHz range. That's plenty for podcasts, audiobooks and workout playlists, but bone conduction simply cannot deliver the bass slam or the noise isolation of an over-ear closed headphone.
Who should buy it? Runners, cyclists, swimmers and gym-goers who prioritize safety and sweat resistance, and anyone who hates the plugged-up feeling of in-ear buds. Who should skip it? Console gamers — there's no mic mentioned in the specs and no wired option — and anyone who wants to disappear into an album on a plane.
Side-by-Side: Which Should You Choose?
• Best for console gaming → JLab Play Gaming. The 3.5 mm AUX cord delivers zero-latency audio on PS, Xbox, Switch and PC.
• Best for phone-free workouts → HAKII Sole. 16 GB of built-in storage plus MP3 mode means no phone required.
• Best for voice chat → JLab Play Gaming. The retractable boom mic and quick-mute button are purpose-built for talking to teammates.
• Best for staying aware of traffic → HAKII Sole. Open-ear bone conduction leaves your ear canals completely unobstructed.
• Best for battery life → JLab Play Gaming. 22 hours versus 10 hours, plus a much faster 3-hour charge time.
• Best for long-wear comfort → HAKII Sole. At 27 g with zero ear-canal pressure, it's the lighter, less fatiguing option.
• Best for one-device-does-everything → JLab Play Gaming. Wired and wireless in the same headset, with a carrying case included.
In my opinion, these two barely compete for the same buyer, so the choice comes down to your primary activity. If gaming is the main event — console or mobile — I'd buy the JLab Play Gaming. The AUX cord, retractable boom mic and quick-mute button solve real gaming problems, and the 22-hour battery and 60 ms wireless latency cover everything else. If your priority is training, running or swimming with your ears open and your phone left behind, I'd buy the HAKII Sole instead; the IP68 rating, 16 GB of storage and 27 g build are exactly what that life demands. Just accept the 10-hour charge time and the open-ear sound trade-off going in.
The HAKII Sole, clearly. It carries an IP68 waterproof rating and can be submerged, while the JLab Play Gaming has no water-resistance rating listed at all, so I wouldn't take it near a pool.
Not really. It's wireless-only with no headphone jack, and the specs don't mention a microphone, so it can't handle game chat the way the JLab's boom mic can.
Yes. The JLab Play Gaming connects over Bluetooth 5 with aptX for mobile use, and the HAKII Sole uses Bluetooth 6 with multipoint pairing so you can switch between two devices.
The JLab Play Gaming, at a rated 22 hours versus the HAKII Sole's 10 hours. The HAKII also takes around 10 hours to charge, so plan on charging it overnight.
Both sit in different categories, so the fairest approach is to check the current price on Amazon using the button on this page and compare them against what you actually need — a gaming headset or a waterproof sport pair.
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